Potential Disruption for Instagram Galleries

This is to notify users that there is likely to be a disruption for galleries using Instagram.

Instagram is discontinuing its current API on 30th March 2020 and has asked developers to switch to the newer Graph API. I made the switch to the new API in the code almost 2 weeks back (on 12th March), but Instagram apps need to be approved by Facebook. I submitted my app for approval, but it has been going back and forth in the approval process.

If Photonic’s use of the new API is not approved by 30th, users will suddenly see their galleries not rendering correctly. In the interest of continuity I urge you to switch to a different plugin that is already using the new API. I believe this one is a good alternative.

If Photonic is approved before 30th March, I commit to making the new version available as all my development is complete. Users will still face a minor disruption – you will simply have to redo the authentication step with Photonic (from Photonic → Authentiication → Instagram).

24th March 2020 Update
I have mixed news. Photonic was approved as an app as a part of the review process. However, Facebook currently requires an app review and an individual / business review, and this was put on pause due to them redirecting resources for COVID-19:

I don’t see this getting resolved in time before they discontinue their legacy API, so please switch to a different plugin to avoid disruption!

OK. I updated to v2.34, activated Photonic, re-authorized my Instagram account, and re-added the exact same Photonic shortcode to my page ([gallery type='instagram' columns='auto' more='See More Photos' count='15' thumb_size='200' layout='square']). My page does indeed re-display my Instagram images. But the gallery on the page is now formatted completely different as to what it was before this exercise. See below for more info.

Before this exercise, the Photonic shortcode I indicated above resulted in a 4×4 gallery on my page, similar to this. Now, that same shortcode results in no gallery at all–the Instagram images are simply displayed one below the other, at their native size.

Thoughts? Is that expected? If so, how can I re-create the same Photonic gallery I had in-place before this exercise?

My plugin is stuck on loading when i want to try to reauthenticate the newer API for instagram. If i paste the newer api code via settings – instagram it doesnt make any changes. Message is still: Instagram Access Token not valid. Please reauthenticate on the gallery.

I’m a brand new plugin user (just found you today) and was able to authenticate… but then it crashed when, from inside the Photonic workflow for adding an Instagram gallery, I searched for a hashtag that exists throughout my Instagram account. As soon as I searched from the “Add Photonic Gallery” workflow, that window just turned all white. At first I thought maybe it was taking a lot of time to search since I have a fairly large number of pictures in Instagram, but even 30 minutes later, the window remained in what I can only guess is a hang or crashed state.

Since I’m brand new and didn’t read much, I thought maybe I’m doing it wrong and came here only to find this sticky thread about Instagram changing the API, but it does appear I have successfully authenticated. So now I’m wondering if that search box in the “Add Photonic Gallery” workflow is meant to search my own Instagram photos or something else or if it did, in fact, crash (or hang).

Also, is there an easy way (or any way at all) to create a gallery of ALL images with a certain hashtag within my Instagram account?